BASIC INFORMATION
Compact fluorescents are close relatives of the 4ft tube fluorescents, commonly used in shops and schools for their white, soft light that does not cast any defined shadows. The electricity is passed through the tube from the metal sections at either end, thus exciting the gas within and releasing photons of light. These lights must have a 'starter' which gets the light going initially, unlike incandescent which can just be turned on and off without one. Regular fluorescents usually emit 18w of light per tube, and cannot be plugged straight into a wall socket.
Compact fluorescents, on the other hand, are made for use in regular light sockets, and can easily be installed by anyone with basic handyman skills. Compact fluorescents are usually around 8inches long (not including the ballast, which usually adds about 3 inches to the total length) and emit minimal amounts of heat from the globe itself. Most of the heat emitted from a compact fluorescent comes from the ballast. These lights are usually between 8w and 27w, although some variation may occur between brands and uses.
THE USE OF FLUORO'S FOR GROWING CANNABIS
Every grower has, or still uses these lights. Although they dont even come close to the results from a HID light, they do however provide a cheap alternative for a newbie 'dabbling' in the fine art of growing. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on an HID light, a newbie can purchase a compact fluorescent for a few bucks, and still have money for a coffee on the way home.
These lights are also excellent for starting seedlings and clones, as their cool light will not dry out the soil as fast as an HID. They have a low intensity, and are gentle on newly germinated seedlings, and are great for clones as they wont dry them out or give them too much of an early blast.
WHERE CAN I PURCHASE THESE LIGHTS?
Most lighting stores will sell them, but watch out, prices are very different depending on what type of shop you get them at! Electricians, and assorted electrical shops will sell them, and this is most likely where you will get the best range and the best prices. My advice to you is, shop around! You wont regret it when you can save around 30% per light.
WHICH TYPE OF COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT TO CHOOSE
For anyone growing cannabis, it is pointless to buy a weak light. Given the option of 8w, 15w and 27w, you would be stupid not to buy the 27watt, as they are more or less the same price. Compare the lumen output of each of the bulbs, different 27w bulbs may have different lumen outputs (depending on the manufacturer) and as with everything, the more lumens the better. You will also be given 2 options, the screw method of fitting, or the bayonet method (push and turn). My preference is the bayonet fitting. Make sure that you choose the right one for your socket! Also, do not choose a regular compact fluoro. Pick the one with the energy saving feature (will be explained why later on in the document). Now, for vegetative growth you should choose the 'cool white' light. This is also acceptable for flowering, but a 'warm white' light will be better as it is stronger in the red end of the light spectrum which is more suitable for flowering.
INSTALLING YOUR COMPACT FLUORESCENT
Now, this is extremely easy. As these bulbs fit normal light fixtures, you can just dismantle and old lamp to get the cord, plug and bulb fixture. This is ready made, as all you have to do is plug the cord into a wall outlet and screw in a bulb (with the power turned off, of course). This requires no electrical knowledge at all, and is the easiest way to get a cord suitable for a compact fluoro. The cord is simply removed from the lamp, and you are ready. If you feel you are not up to this task, or you do not have an old lamp ready to be destroyed, you can easily make one of these cords with basic electrical knowledge. Hardwares and electricians will sell you the cable (you'll need at least 1 meter) and the fittings for the wall socket and the light. Just tell them you're making a lamp for pottery and need a few cables to make up yourself. The parts are cheap, and you can save $$$ this way. If you have any queries, the electrical store will know exactly what type of cables you need etc, and will be more than happy to give you instructions on how to put it all together.
Please note that this is a guide for regular compact fluoro's. There are some outdoor varieties (which are rare) that need to be fitted specially. This FAQ is written for the regular compact fluoros, the ones that are most accessible to the general population. Other varieties of compact fluoro's are hard to find, but may or may not be better for growing. As I have little experience with these rare lights, I cannot comment on them. The reason I haven't seen them before, is because they are almost non-existent where I live.
HOW MUCH LIGHT DO I NEED TO VEG CANNABIS PROPERLY?
It all depends on what light you are using, if its HID, standard fluoro or compact fluoro (I assume you're not using halogens!). For HID (HPS or MH) lighting, use roughly 30w per square foot, and for flowering use around 60w per square foot. This is merely a guide, your plant, light height; reflective surfaces etc make a huge difference on these numbers. For a small plant, below 1ft tall, Id say you would need at least 25w of fluorescent light. I find that it isn't at all practical to use tube fluoros for the vegetative stage past 6 inches, as only the top of the plant is receiving enough light to carry out photosynthesis properly.
Using an energy saving compact fluoro will help 'push' the light to the base of the plant, assisting photosynthesis. If the plant indicates it needs more light by growing slowly, and with small leaf petioles, you may need more light. Go with the basic rule of keeping the fluoros very close, and using roughly 20-30w per square foot for strong vegetative growth. If you can afford to over-light your grow room, why not? You wont regret it when your plant is bushy and healthy. If you feel that you need to only purchase a minimum amount of lights, you probably shouldnt be growing.
Growing takes effort and money, and if you can't support a plants needs you might as well just forget growing until you can afford a proper setup. Skimping on lights is the biggest mistake a grower can make, because photosynthesis is so important to for a health plant.
THE TRUTH ABOUT WATT RATINGS
When purchasing a compact fluorescent, you will notice that nearly all of them have a larger number on the box, than what it actually is. This number is the lights comparison to the brightness of a standard incandescent globe. Do not be fooled, this does not mean that the light is 100w! It is most likely around 18w.
Now, here is where the myth behind these lights is uncovered. Most people will say that you should totally discard the brightness rating. This is wrong! The brighter a light is, the more penetration it has. With a usual, run-of-the-mill compact fluorescent (say, 15w) it emits only 15w of light with poor penetration. An energy saving compact fluorescent with 15w of light, which is rated to 100w of light, will only emit 15w of light. The difference between the two is, the energy saving light has a much stronger light penetration of the normal one, while still only emitting 15w of light.
This is beneficial to growers because with a larger plant, a normal 15w compact fluoro will sufficiently light one part of the plant, and by the time the light has reached the other side of the plant, so much of the light has been lost that it is barely worth having. With the energy saving compact fluorescents, the light will travel to the other side of the plant, and still have enough intensity for reasonable results.
HANGING YOUR LIGHTS OVER YOUR PLANTS
Keep these lights under a reflector all of the time to concentrate the light onto the plant. Hang them horizontally, as most of the light is given off by the middle of the tubes. Keep them close to the plants. As a general rule of thumb, 1 inch away from the top of the plant is perfect. Any more, and you're wasting your time, and less and you risk burning your plant (although these lights are very cool, it is possible to burn your plant if it touches the light or ballast for an extended period of time). If you're given the option, go for a few compact fluoros positioned around the plant, as opposed to 1 strong light at the top. Positioning lights around the plant help stop vertical stretching, and encourage the plant to bush out.
WHY IS A HID "BETTER" THAN A COMPACT FLUORESCENT?
HID lighting is generally accepted as a better light for growing cannabis for a few reasons...
· It has much better light penetration
· It is much more powerful (higher lumen output)
· It is stronger in light spectrums suited for growing plants
What can we do to combat these problems to make the most out of our fluoros?
· Use a good reflector. Desk lamp reflectors are perfect, along with coke cans (cut in half from top to bottom).
· Purchase lights with high energy saving capabilities (e.g. high watt ratings)to increase light penetration
· Purchase lights with suitable spectrum strengths for each phase of growing (eg warm white, cool white etc.)
· Keep the lights close to maximize intensity
